TORONTO - OPSEU professionals at hospitals across Ontario besides the 40 in central bargaining, including sites in Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton and Windsor, plan to join the Day of Action protests Feb. 13.
“Many other local presidents across the province say they will participate,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. “They know the central contract will ultimately determine their wages and working conditions as well.”
Meanwhile, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is attempting to quash the Day of Action protest. The OHA has filed a “cease and desist” application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board to have the protest declared an illegal strike. The application will be heard Monday morning Feb. 10 in Toronto.
Casselman said the application was typical of the OHA’s heavy-handed approach. “Whatever happens, we are committed to protecting patients. If the OHA wants to stop the Day of Action, it should be at the bargaining table, not at the Labour Board.”
OPSEU has learned many non-participating hospitals are also interested in seeing a fast resolution to central bargaining. South Muskoka Memorial’s hospital board wrote to the OHA in support of the OPSEU unit at that hospital, saying both parties were “interested in the outcome of centralized bargaining” and that “the hospital
administration and Board of Trustees understand and support the need for fair wages that reflect the value of the important work” OPSEU members do.
“Neither the staff nor the hospitals want to wait years to find out what the wages for hospital professionals will be. The OHA needs to work with us to find a speedy resolution for all of our 40 hospitals in central bargaining,” Casselman said.
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For further information:
David Cox: 416-443-8888 (ext 314) or cell 416-788-9197 or dcox@opseu.org
Randy Robinson: 416-448-7441 or cell 416-788-9134 or rrobinson@opseu.org
Katie FitzRandolph: 416-448-7440 or cell 416-788-9057 or kfitzrandolph@opseu.org
